Community Exposures to Particulate Matter Air Pollution from the World Trade Center Disaster

1
Community Exposures to World Trade Center
Disaster Airborne and Settled Dust Air Pollution
George D. Thurston, Sc.D. NYU-NIEHS Center of
Excellence Department of Environmental
Medicine NYU School of Medicine
2
During the Horrific Disaster on September 11th,
Dust Pollution Also Spread ThroughoutLower
Manhattan
3
During the Horrific Disaster on September 11th,
Dust Pollution Also Spread ThroughoutLower
Manhattan
4
During the Horrific Disaster on September 11th,
Dust Pollution Also Spread ThroughoutLower
Manhattan
5
During the Horrific Disaster on September 11th,
Dust Pollution Also Spread ThroughoutLower
Manhattan
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Causing Extreme Acute Exposures to Particulate
Matter Air Pollution
10
NYU WTC Investigations have Focused on Particle
Air Pollution

• Exposures to high levels of Particulate Matter
  (PM) air pollution, such as soot, can have severe
  health effects, including
• increased numbers of hospital admissions,
• heart attacks
• asthma exacerbations.
• PM health effects are mostly among especially
  at-risk people, such as children and those with
  pre-existing health problems (e.g., emphysema or
  cardiac problems).

11
WTC Dust Samples Were Collectedby Our Team on
9/12 and 9/13/01
12
NYU WTC Sampling Sites
3
D
5
E
1
8
10
C
11
A
13
Airborne PM10 PM2.5
F
B
Indoor PM samples
13
Most of the Particles were Larger than PM10,
and Glass Fibers Represented Roughly 40 of the
Dust
50 µm
14
Large Particles are Caught in the Upper Airways,
While Fine Particles Get Deep Into Your Lungs
15
Most WTC Dust Particles are Larger than 10 µm,
and Tend not to Penetrate Past the Throat into
the Lung
100
Outdoor Samples Indoor Samples
75
Percentage of Total
50
25
0
2.5 µm
2.5-10 µm
10-53 µm
gt 53 µm
Particle Size (µm)
16
Large Dust Particles Were Alkaline and
Irritating, But Small Particles (that can get
into the Lung) Were Not
12
12
8
8
pH
4
4
0
0
10
11
13
gt53mm
lt2.5mm
53-10mm
10-2.5mm
Sampling Sites
17
Particle Air Pollution Data Collected atNYU
Downtown Hospital (9/14 - 12/31/01)
18
Soot Levels in Lower Manhattan Were Highest At
Night, But Decreased During Rain and Over Time
19
Fine Particle Levels in Lower Manhattan were
Higher Than Elsewhere in September, but Became
Like the Rest of the City In October
20
WTC Dust Induced Airway Responsiveness to
Methacholine Aerosol Challenge in Animals
(Gavett et al, 2002)
21
Conclusions

• The community air concentrations of fine particle
  pollution generally did not exceed EPAs legal
  limits
• However, there were short-term peaks of a few
  hours at night that could have been of acute
  health significance to sensitive populations
• Alkaline large particles were consistent with WTC
  cough symptoms.
• WTC dusts caused airway hyper-reactivity in
  animals
• Not everything is known about exposures or
  effects, but our results do not indicate
  long-term risks to the general public from WTC
  particle air pollution exposures.

22
Risk Communication Lessons

• Poor risk communication increased distrust of
  government and public concern about health risks.
• The public wants facts upon which they can make
  individual decisions, not just reassurances.
• Before another disaster happens
• the government needs to develop publicly
  peer-reviewed acceptable vs. unacceptable
  pollution exposure benchmarks for such episodic
  exposures.
• In the event of another disaster
• Independent Scientists, Physicians, and other
  experts need to be formally informed and
  consulted regarding the appropriateness of
  government monitoring and assessments on a
  real-time basis.

23
Remember